Maisa Mansour

Citation:

Mansour, M. M. A., M. Z. M. Salem, and A. S. A. Shoeib, "Study the degradation of cellulosic fiber by four common fungi: Chromatic alterations and SEM examination", Cebter for the Glogal study of Cultural Heritage and Culture, vol. 3, pp. 99-110, 2015.

Abstract:

In the present study, papers manufactured from cotton cellulose were used. White paper (without inks), paper with Cinnabar ink (red ink color, HgS), and paper with Iron Gall Ink color (black) were used for the colonization by Trichoderma viride, Penicillium roqueforti, Eurotium chevalievi, and Aspergillus flavus. The identification of cellulose as well as the inks used and the binder material (Arabic gum) was achieved by means of FTIR spectra. The degradation in cellulosic fiber was done by measuring the hyphal growth of the studied fungi using the environmental scan electron microscope (ESEM). Color changes of the inoculated papers with the each of the four fungi tested was determined on the surface of the studied cellulosic fiber treated with tea tree oil (0.25%) and thyme oil (0.5%). The values of color changes (ΔE) refer to the fungal growth. The smallest fungal growth (A. flavus) was found on the white and red papers treated with tea tree oil, with a ΔE value of 1.95, while the highest value (ΔE 39.17) occurred by T. viride on red paper treated with thyme oil. The greater value of ΔE between the control and inoculated samples of the same species in the same type of paper presented the highest fungal growth on the paper. From the ESEM examination as well as the chromatic alternation of the inoculated papers with four fungi, T. viride is the most deteriorative fungus for the tested papers and A. flavus is lowest one.